


Flying Through Life

by SecretlyAGryffindor



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Humor, I don't know how to tag this tbh, M/M, Romance, Wizarding Wars (Harry Potter), Wizarding World (Harry Potter)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-24
Updated: 2019-12-29
Packaged: 2021-02-26 02:13:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,303
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21925756
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretlyAGryffindor/pseuds/SecretlyAGryffindor
Summary: She would proudly proclaim that she was a bookworm while he would say he only opened a book if necessary. He lived for Quidditch, she only went to a match if her friends tricked her into it. They were opposites in many respects, but they say opposites attract, right? (Just don't tell them that-they would disagree).
Relationships: Angelina Johnson/Fred Weasley, Katie Bell/George Weasley, Lee Jordan/Alicia Spinnet, Oliver Wood/Original Female Character(s), Original Character/Original Character
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

**Wow. Apparently I have no self control, so here we are with another Oliver/OC story. This one will be more cannon compliant than Of Love, Lies and Quidditch was, so I am excited about that. I am not totally thrilled with this chapter, but I love the characters and I hope that you do too. It will feature a lot of our favorite Gryffindors, just like Of Love, Lies and Quidditch did. They aren't in this chapter much, but they will be there I promise!**

**Disclaimer: I am not JK Rowling. I know. Shocking.**

* * *

Emmeline Adams sat at the small, round breakfast table, sipping her morning tea and reading the Daily Prophet. She was hoping for the news that they had caught Sirius Black, a convict who had escaped from Azkaban, but she found she was disappointed. Instead, there was another sighting, near Surrey, but no luck in catching him. It was making Emmeline very nervous, the Ministry of Magic was supposed to be able to catch the death eaters, especially one as loyal as Sirius Black.

Currently, she was reading the nasty report Rita Skeeter had done on the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge, and the Department of Magical Law. She was claiming that there was a conspiracy going on, and that Sirius Black had someone on the inside to help him escape. Emmeline had hoped that wasn't the case, but her parents had always told her that death eaters were everywhere.

"Good Morning Sweetheart," greeted her father, joining her at the table.

"Morning Dad," Emmeline replied, offering him a small smile.

"Any good news in the paper?" he asked, hopeful.

"Is there ever?" Emmeline retorted bleakly.

"Touche," her father said, with a small smile, "Can you pass me the sports section?"

Emmeline wordlessly passed her father the sports section, before beginning on her morning crossword.

"What is a giant spider that has valuable venom?" Emmeline asked her mother as she strolled into the kitchen.

"What does it start with?" her mother asked, pouring herself some tea.

"A," Emmeline replied, tapping her quill against her cheek.

"Acromantula."

"Just the name sounds terrifying," her father responded.

"I would agree," Emmeline said.

"We use their venom for some of our potions at the Hospital," her mother explained, "But I sure am glad that I'm not the one who has to get the venom."

"Is your trunk in the car?" her father asked, moving the topic away from giant spiders.

"Yes, I brought it down last night," Emmeline replied, with an eye roll.

"Thank Merlin you didn't get my organizational skills," her father chuckled.

This caused both women to laugh. Andy Adams was many things, but organized was not one of them.

"Shall we get going?" her mother asked, as she finished her tea.

The family of three got into their old, rarely used, muggle car and set off for Kings Cross Station. Normally the rides were filled with excited chatter, Emmeline discussing what she would learn this year, Andy would be mentioning the latest Quidditch stats or Audora would be sharing her latest story from St. Mungos. This year, however, the family sat reflecting on Sirius Black, and what his escape from Azkaban could mean.

The family parked their car, grabbed a trolly and made their way towards Platform 9 ¾. Andy and Audora sharing uneasy looks with each other while Emmeline loaded her trunk onto the train.

"You promise you'll be safe this year?" Audora asked her daughter when she returned, tucking a piece of auburn hair behind her ear.

"I always am mum," Emmeline responded, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

"I just have a bad feeling about Sirius Black escaping," Audora said, before shaking her head.

"No one is dumb enough to try and break into Hogwarts mum," Emmeline state, as if it was the most obvious fact in the world.

"I don't know," her father responded, looking cautiously around the platform.

"Hogwarts is the safest place on earth. No one would dare try anything with Professor Dumbledore there," Emmeline tried again.

"I know that, sweetheart, it just reminds me of the war," her mother said, her eyes looking distant.

"I promise to be safe," Emmeline said again, "And I promise to write."

"Thank you pumpkin," Audora replied, taking a deep breath before pulling her daughter in for a tight hug.

"We love you kiddo," Andy said, pulling his daughter in for a hug as well.

"I love you both too," Emmeline said, and with a slight wave, she took off for the train.

Emmeline smiled widely when she entered the compartment and saw her best friend sitting down, a copy of Witch Weekly open in her lap.

"Riley," Emmeline greeted her friend with a wide grin.

"Emmeline!" Riley shrieked in excitement, before jumping up and pulling her shorter friend into a tight hug.

"I missed you this summer," Emmeline said, "How was France?"

"It was wonderful, absolutely wonderful Emmeline," Riley said, with a wistful look on her face, "Think, all the bread, wine and men that you could ever want."

"That sounds perfect for you," Emmeline laughed, "And how was the internship?"

"Ugh, Avery Hartstrong is an absolute genius of a writer," Riley said, "She just has a way of getting people to tell her anything. It's amazing."

"Something tells me, you will have that skill," Emmeline laughed.

"How was your summer?" Riley asked, "It was weird not being able to see you and only being able to write."

"That's what happens when you're important and get amazing internships in France," Emmeline pointed out with a laugh, "But my summer was good. Mum and dad didn't let me floo to Diagon Alley as much as I'd have liked, with Sirius Black escaped, but I was able to get our school books early."

"How many times did you read them?" Riley asked, cocking an eyebrow at her friend.

"All the way through?" Emmeline asked, blushing.

"Oh Merlin," Riley laughed, "This is what happens when I leave for the summer."

"We both know it would have happened anyways…"

"Yes, but maybe it would have been on a beach, with cute boys."

"Fair point."

"It is crazy about Sirius Black though," Riley said, "I don't know much about the first war, but even the French are on guard."

"My mum and dad are scared," Emmeline admitted, "They haven't come out and said anything, I don't think they want to scare me, but they think that his goal is to bring back You-Know-Who."

"Do you think that's possible?" Riley whispered, as if saying it so loud would make it happen.

"I don't know," Emmeline admitted, " I haven't read anything that would lead me to believe that it's possible, but…"

The girls shared a nervous glance, as the train started to move.

"We'll be safe at Hogwarts though," Riley said, though she wasn't sure if she was trying to reassure herself or Emmeline.

The girls halted their conversation as their compartment door slide open.

"Dominic!" both girls said in unison, rushing up to hug the blonde haired man who entered the apartment.

"Hullo ladies," he said, with a smirk.

"How was your summer?" Riley asked.

"It was good, I took care of Grace and Troy for most of the summer. They had mum working crazy hours with Sirius Black on the loose," Dominic responded.

"I'm not surprised that they even have the Muggle authorities on the lookout for Black," Emmeline said.

"Is he really that dangerous?" Dominic asked.

Both Dominic and Riley came from muggle families, while Dominic's father was a Wizard, he had died shortly after he was born, and his mother had re-married a muggle. However, Dominic's step-father and step-siblings were utterly fascinated at the idea of magic.

"He is the only person to have ever broken out of Azkaban, of course he's dangerous," Emmeline state.

"They'll catch him though, right?" Dominic said.

"With so many people on the lookout, their bound to," Riley said.

"Did you see Rolf while walking through the corridors?" Emmeline asked, changing the subject.

"No. I did see Percy Weasly though, he's the Head Boy," Dominic responded.

"Bugger, I was hoping to see Rolf before the Prefect meeting," Emmeline sighed, "And of course Percy is Head Boy, no one else is nearly as much of a stickler for the rules as he is."

"Well, I think you would have to be, if your younger siblings were the twins," Riley laughed.

"Or best friends with Harry Potter, who trouble always seems to find," Emmeline added.

"Alright, you've made your point."

"Are you going to be okay here by yourself?" Emmeline asked Riley.

"Sure will, I'm sure Rolf will turn up," Riley said, "Go to your meeting."

With a wave, Dominic and Emmeline made their way towards the Prefect compartment.

"On a scale from 1-10 how insufferable do you think this meeting is going to be?" Dominic asked.

"At least a 15, I reckon," came a voice from behind them.

"He spent all summer practicing," came another.

Grinning, Dominic and Emmeline turned and faced the Weasley twins.

"Thanks for the heads up," Dominic said.

"Good luck," the twins said, in freaky unison, before disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.

"That doesn't bode well for us," Emmeline whispered, and Dominic laughed.

An hour later the two of them were pushing the compartment door open.

"That was the longest Prefects meeting I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through," Dominic said, dramatically.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," said Rolf, who appeared to have found his way towards their compartment.

"Percy is Head Boy," Riley informed their fourth friend.

"Just kidding then," Rolf said, chuckling before looking back at his book.

"Learn anything interesting?" Riley asked.

"Just that we will be patrolling more with Sirius Black on the loose," Emmeline said.

"Oh yeah, because he'd be stupid enough to come to Hogwarts," Riley said, with an eye roll.

"Can't be too cautious," Rolf said.

"How was your summer in America Rolf?" Emmeline asked.

"It was excellent, my Uncle Newt is a genius," Rolf said, the admiration evident in his voice.

"Did you discover a new creature like you were hoping?" Dominic asked, while Riley smirked.

"No," Rolf said dully.

"But they did discover new prints, so they think Rolf was right about the new species," Riley boasted for their friend.

"Rolf, that's brilliant!" Emmeline said, while he blushed scarlet.

"Way to go mate," Domini said.

"Thanks," Rolf said, still pink.

Just then, the train started slowing down.

"There is no way that we are there yet," Riley said, and the four of them all looked out the window.

"Do you see anything?" Emmeline asked from her place in the back.

"It looks like someone is getting on," Riley said, "Who would be getting on right now?"

"Not someone," Rolf said, squinting behind his glasses, "Something."

"Something?" Dominic asked confused.

"I think it's a Dementor," Rolf said, turning to flip through his book.

"Like what guards Azkaban?" Riley said with a shudder.

"Yes," Rolf said, groaning when he couldn't find the page he was looking for.

"What could they possibly want on the train?" Dominic asked.

"They must be looking for Sirius Black," Emmeline said, suddenly growing cold.

"Is anyone else freezing?" Dominic asked.

"The Dementor must be getting close," Rolf offered in explanation.

A chilled silence filled the compartment as Emmeline felt all the happiness drain from her body. Her breathing was coming in shallow gasps, and she started to panic. She watched as a hooded figure floated through the halls. The farther away the Dementor got, the easier it got to breathe.

"That was...intense," Riley said, her olive complexion looking pale.

"That's one word for it," Dominic said, looking a little green.

Shortly later, the group was feeling better and the train started to move again.

"Here," Rolf said, passing each of them a piece of chocolate, "It's supposed to help you feel better."

"Of course, chocolate is always the answer," Riley said, completely serious.

Thankfully for them, the rest of the train ride was uneventful. There was a rumor swirling around that Harry Potter had passed out when the Dementor had arrived, and that the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had saved him, but that story sounded too dramatic for Emmeline to believe.

"I'm going to see if Hagrid needs help with the first years," Rolf said, "I'll see all of you tomorrow in class!"

With a small wave, Rolf hurried off towards the friendly giant and the other three made their way towards an empty carriage.

"Does anyone else still feel a little shaky?" Riley asked.

"I do," Emmeline said, "That is an experience I never want to relive."

"Don't wind up in Azkaban then," Dominic said, with a weak chuckle.

"Didn't plan on it," Emmeline said, rolling her eyes.

"Who knows, maybe you'll accidentally murder someone for getting on your nerves?" Dominic said.

"You?" Emmeline asked, blinking innocently.

"BURN!" Riley said, and the group laughed.

"I can't wait to hear the sorting hat's song," Riley said, a huge grin on her face.

"You really do love the welcoming feast," Dominic teased.

"Of course, that's how I met you wankers," Riley said.

"Oh Merlin…" Emmeline said, "Remember how nervous we were."

"I thought we were going to have to take a test," Dominic said, "Which I was going to for sure fail, since I was too busy playing outside to read my books."

"I had repeated dreams about not getting sorted and being sent home," Emmeline said.

"I thought I was going to vomit everywhere, in front of everyone…"

"Now look at us," Dominic said with a fond smile.

"Who would have thought, three Gryffindors…"

"Apparently the sorting hat knew," Riley pointed out, and the three laughed.

"Do you think that they will have any of the mince pie?" Dominic asked, excitedly.

"They always do Dom," Emmeline replied.

"Maybe this is the year that they don't?"

"And maybe hell froze over," Riley said, rolling her eyes.

The three exited their carriage and made their way into the Great Hall, smiling as they watched the boats move towards the castle, carrying the first years.

"Merlin, I thought Rolf was going to tip ours over when we were firsties," Dominic said, "He kept looking over to see if he could find the giant squid."

"That sounds like Rolf," Emmeline laughed.

"I heard that the Weasley twins managed to actually flip theirs with Lee Jordan," Riley said, "Professor McGonagall was so angry at them."

"What a way to start," Dominic said with a chuckle.

The trio made their way into the Great Hall and towards the Gryffindor table, where they would wait for the feast to start.

They had only been sitting there for a few minutes before their peace was interrupted.

"Hey Dominic," came a low voice, with a distinct Scottish accent.

"Hullo Wood," Dominic said, grinning, while Emmeline rolled her eyes.

"I am planning on having a Quidditch meeting this week to talk about our stats from last year. The sooner we can get training the better. We need to win the Cup this year," said Oliver Wood, passionately.

"Works for me," Dominic said, grinning at the Quidditch Captain.

Dominic ran the statistics for the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and was used to the overbearing Captain.

"Excellent," Oliver said, nodding, "Have you seen Potter? I haven't been able to find him."

"Apparently he passed out on the train," Riley responded, batting her eyelashes.

"And no one thought to tell me? This is something that I need to know," Oliver replied, shaking his head before walking away.

"Wow, is it just me, or did he get even more fine over the summer?" Riley asked.

"It's not just you," Dominic said, staring after the 7th year.

"Too bad he only cares about Quidditch," Emmeline said, rolling her eyes at her friends.

Personally, Emmeline didn't see the appeal. Sure, he was attractive, but he cared about nothing other than Quidditch, and it annoyed her.

"He could ride my broomstick," Dominic mumbled.

Emmeline choked on her water, trying to hold back her laugh, while Riley threw her head back in laughing. Riley reached over and gave Dominic a high five.

"That was a brilliant one mate," Riley said.

Dominic winked at her.

They then sat in silence, as the sorting hat began its song.

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve and chivalry,

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true,

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,

If you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin,

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means,

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The three Gryffindors clapped when the sorting hat finished it's song, and watched as the sorting began. They waved at Rolf, who was sitting over at the Hufflepuff table, talking with Cedric Diggory.

They all cheered when a new Gryffindor joined the house, pleased to have some new faces. Though, it was noted that Professor McGonagall was missing from the sorting, which was unusual.

"Where do you think Professor McGonagall is?" Emmeline asked.

"I don't know," Riley said, "I don't see Harry Potter or his band of friends either, something must have happened."

"Do you think he actually passed out on the train?" Emmeline asked, her brown eyes wide.

"Maybe," Dominic said, "Poor kid can't catch a break."

When the last student was sorted, they watched as Professor McGonagall came quietly into the Great Hall, followed closely behind Harry, Ron and Hermione joining the Gryffindor table.

Professor Dumbledore stood, and the hall fell silent, all waiting to see what the Headmaster would say.

A smile graced his lips, barely visible behind his long silver beard, and his blue eyes twinkled.

"Welcome," he addressed the room, "Welcome to another year at Hogwarts. I have a few things to say to all of you, and as one of them is very serious, I think it best to get it out of the way before you all become befuddled with the feast."

This caused a few of the younger students to laugh nervously.

"As you will all be aware after their search of the Hogwarts Express, our school is presently playing host to some of the dementors of Azkaban, who are here on Ministry of Magic business. They are stationed at every entrance to the grounds, and while they are with us, I must make it plain that nobody is to leave school without permission. Dementors are not to be fooled by tricks or disguises- even invisibility cloaks. It is not in the nature of a dementor to understand pleading or excuses. I therefore warn each of you to give them no reason to harm you. I look to the prefects, our new Head Boy and Girl to make sure no student runs afoul with the dementors."

"Did you two know about this?" Riley whispered curiously.

"No, they didn't mention anything at the Prefects meeting, just more patrols," Emmeline responded.

"They must really think there is a chance that Sirius Black will try to come here," Dominic whispered, while both girls nodded.

"Now, on a much happier note, I am pleased to announce two new teachers to our ranks this year," Professor Dumbledore continued, "First, Professor Lupin was kind enough to consent to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts."

The Hall clapped politely while a thin man with sandy hair stood and waved.

"As to our second new appointment," Professor Dumbledore said, with a wide grin, "Well, I am sorry to tell you that Professor Kettleburn retired at the end of last year, in order to spend more time with his remaining limbs."

This got a few chuckles from some of the Professor's old students.

"Rolf will be disappointed, he loved Kettleburn," Emmeline said with a frown.

"However, I am delighted to say that his position has been filled by none other than Rubeus Hagrid, who has agreed to take on this teaching job in addition to his gamekeeping duties."

The hall erupted with claps (mostly from the Gryffindor table).

"I take that back, Rolf loves Hagrid, he must be thrilled."

Turning to look, they saw their friend grinning widely, and clapping.

"Well, I think that is everything of importance. Let the feast begin!" Professor Dumbledore ended.

Suddenly, the tables were filled with food, and the first years' faces were filled with awe.

"That never gets old," Emmeline said, before piling food onto her plate.

The Gryffindors ate in a comfortable silence, shoving as much food onto their plates as possible. The chatter through the rest of the hall had also diminished, the only one who seemed unconcerned with eating was Draco Malfoy, who was busy telling the story of how Harry Potter had passed out to anyone who would listen.

Emmeline looked around the Great Hall and smiled happily, this was going to be a good year. She could feel it.

* * *

**Welp. There it is. What did y'all think, should I continue it? Anyone here who read Of Love, Lies and Quidditch too?**

**Love y'all and Happy Holidays to anyone who celebrates this time of year!**


	2. The New Defense Teacher

_ BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!  _ Groaning, Emmeline rolled over, flinging her arm to turn off her alarm. She could hear her other dorm mates starting to move around as well, though it didn’t sound as if any of them were moving any faster than she was. 

With an over dramatic sigh, Emmeline sat up. She looked up and saw Olivia coming out of the bathroom, her blonde hair already dried. Olivia sent her a small smile when Emmeline made her way past her and into the bathroom, desperately needing the warm water to wake her up. 

Emmeline knew that she shouldn’t have stayed up so late reading her Defense Against the Dark Arts book, but she wanted to make a good impression on the new Professor. Whoever it was, they were bound to be better than Lockhart was; Emmeline would never understand how he was hired. 

Standing under the warm water, Emmeline quickly washed herself off. When she stepped out of the shower, she put on her uniform. She glanced down and knew that Riley would roll her eyes at how she followed the dress code, but Emmeline didn’t mind. She felt more comfortable like this anyways. 

With a wave of her wand, her dark brown hair was dried. She looked into the mirror, trying to decide what to do with it. 

“Leave it down,” Riley said, entering the bathroom looking like a zombie, her black hair sticking up at all angles. 

“It gets in my way,” Emmeline argued, though she knew she would probably listen. 

“Then put it up when it gets in your way,” Riley retorted from the shower. 

Grinning, Emmeline took her friend’s advice and left her hair down. She added a little mascara to her eyelashes and some lip balm to her lips, then with a shrug she turned to exit the bathroom. 

“I’ll meet you at breakfast Riles,” she said, waving to Natalie, who was slowly making her way towards the bathroom. 

“Merlin, I hate mornings,” Natalie muttered as she walked past. 

Chuckling, Emmeline gathered her stuff and made her way towards the Great Hall. She smiled politely at her classmates that she passed, feeling giddy about being back at Hogwarts. She enjoyed her summers at home, but there was something about being back at Hogwarts. 

When entering the Great Hall, she was disappointed to see that Dominic wasn’t there yet, so she made her way towards Olivia. While her and her dorm-mate were not the best of friends, they had always gotten along well enough. 

“Morning Emmeline,” Olivia said, giving her a smile. 

“Hullo Olivia,” Emmeline replied, taking a seat next to the blonde haired beauty. 

“How was your summer?” Olivia asked kindly. 

“It was lovely,” Emmeline said, smiling fondly, “How was yours?” 

“Oh, it was wonderful. I went with Christian’s family to the coast of Italy, it was absolutely stunning,” Olivia gushed. 

“That sounds amazing,” Emmeline replied. 

Olivia nodded, while Emmeline turned to pour herself a large cup of tea. The two dorm-mates continued to eat in silence, waiting for Professor McGonagall to come around with their schedules. 

Their peace was disrupted however, when Christian and his roommate Oliver Wood sat down. 

“Morning love,” Christian said, planting a kiss on Olivia’s lips (Emmeline tried not to grimace at the PDA). 

“Hi babe, sleep well?” 

“Not as well as I did this summer,” Christian said, winking at Olivia who giggled. 

“So, how is the team going to be this year Oliver?” Olivia asked, while Emmeline disguised her groan as a cough. 

This reminded her about why she hung around with Riley, Dominic and Rolf, there was very little Quidditch talk. Her father was a Quidditch fanatic, working with the Department of Magical Games, but despite his best efforts, Emmeline never got into the sport. Sure, she enjoyed it when she was younger, she loved flying and playing with her dad, but she preferred to focus on her studies at school. 

“We have a great chance at the cup this year,” Oliver all but gushed, “We don’t have to worry about training any new players, which is a huge bonus. All of the other teams need to host tryouts this year.” 

“Oh that sounds excellent!” Olivia said, excitedly, “You’ll have to come with us to a game this year Emmeline!” 

Emmeline felt her cheeks go pink as the attention turned back to her. She knew that Olivia was trying to be kind by including her, but Emmeline did not think that this conversation was going to end well. 

“You didn’t come to any of the games last year?” Oliver asked, turning his attention to Emmeline. 

Emmeline tried not to blush even more as his brown eyes bore into hers (what, even she couldn’t deny he was beautiful). 

“Umm,” Emmeline started, “I didn’t get a chance to make it last year...no.” 

“You didn’t get a chance?” Oliver said, raising his eyebrows doubtfully. 

“More like reading in the library,” Christian teased. 

While there was no heat to his words, he was far too nice for that, but Emmeline felt herself shrink in her chair from embarrassment, she did not like being the center of attention.

“Why would someone be in the library when there is a Quidditch match going on?” Oliver asked, clearly confused.

In his defense, Emmeline thought, he didn’t ask it to sound mean. He just genuinely did not understand that there were more important things in life than Quidditch. 

“It’s quiet and no one is there. It makes it a lot easier to get work done…” 

“That is the worst excuse that I have ever heard,” Oliver pointed out. 

“We keep trying to tell her that, but she doesn’t listen,” Olivia said, but she grinned at Emmelien. 

Emmeline just ducked her head and sipped her tea. She didn’t really have a different reason. She liked working while it was quiet and she never really got behind the hype of the sport (no matter how hard her dad had tried). 

“Good Morning Emmeline,” Rolf said, coming to sit down next to her. 

“Mornin’ Rolf,” Emmeline said, flashing her friend a grateful smile, “How did you convince Professor Flitwick to give you your schedule early?” 

“I got it last night, truthfully,” Rolf said, smiling. 

“How did you manage that? I tried asking Professor McGonagall to give me mine last year, but she wouldn’t let me.” 

“I told Professor Flitwick that I was going to help Hagrid set up for class this morning and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it back in time for breakfast.” 

“Exciting,” Emmeline said, “Can I see your schedule, I want to see what mine is going to look like.” 

Wordless Rolf passed Emmeline his schedule and Emmeline scanned it greedily. 

“Looks like we will have Defense today,” Emmeline grinned, “I am hoping that Professor Lupin is better than Professor Lockhart.” 

“A rock would be better than Professor Lockhart,” Dominic said, sitting himself down next to Rolf. 

Rolf grinned at Dominic, while Emmeline giggled. 

“You’re not wrong,” Emmeline said. 

“At least he was pretty to look at,” Riley said, seemingly appearing out of nowhere.

She looked nothing like the zombie that she had this morning, her olive skin was glowing and she had applied natural make-up, save the maroon lip stain she had applied. She had even put in the effort to curl her black hair. 

“That is the only thing he had going for him,” Dominic pointed out, while Riley shrugged, even she couldn’t argue that point. 

“I’m just saying that I enjoyed the view,” Riley retorted. 

“I’m sure Professor Lupin will be better,” Rolf said, eyeing Dominic and Riley wearily.

Dominic and Riley had a tendency to bicker quite often, just for the sake of arguing. 

“Well, I don’t think that it could have gotten much worse,” Emmeline said, “He had to be saved by two second years in the Chamber of Secrets.” 

At the mention of the Chamber of Secrets, Riley’s face paled, she had been petrified last year, and she liked to avoid that topic of conversation. Emmeline smiled at her friend apologetically. 

“True, he was not very bright,” Rolf agreed. 

“Schedules,” came a stern voice from behind them. 

However, when Emmeline turned around, she could see a slight smile on Professor McGonagall’s lips. She always had a suspicion that Professor McGonagall was not a fan of their previous Defense teacher. 

“Thank you Professor,” Emmeline said, nodding respectfully towards her head of house as she grabbed her schedule. 

“I’m just hoping for an uneventful year,” Riley mumbled, “Between trolls and giant snakes, I don’t know that I can take another year of the unknown dangerous.” 

“With Potter here, that seems unlikely,” Dominic pointed out, “Might want to prepare yourself.” 

“Damnit,” Riley mumbled, but she grinned at her friends. 

“Plus, we have the Dementors here,” Emmeline pointed out, “Sorry love, I think you need to prepare yourself.” 

“Merlin, will we ever catch a break?” 

“Maybe when you graduate?” Dominic said, shrugging. 

“At least let a girl dream,” Riley pouted, but there was no real anger in her words. 

“If you want to live in a delusional world, who am I to stop you?” Dominic said, laughing. 

“You’re a true mate,” Riley said. 

“I can’t believe you are still taking Divination,” Emmeline commented, looking at Riley’s schedule. 

“What can I say? It amuses me,” Riley shrugged.

“And here I thought it was because you had the inner eye,” Dominic teased. 

“I take it back, you’re a shite mate,” Riley laughed. 

“You wound me,” Dominic groaned. 

“I think you’ll be okay,” Rolf said, grinning wolfishly. 

“Well, I am using my inner eye now-and I have determined that we are going to have a peaceful, completely undramatic 6th year,” Riley said. 

“Is anything with you undramatic?” Rolf asked, while Riley stuck out her tongue. 

“Soon we'll be kicking arse in the real world,” Riley said, proudly. 

“With that goal in mind, I am going to head to Defense, I want a good seat,” Emmeline said, standing up, “Anyone want to join me?” 

“I’ll come,” Rolf said, swinging his book bag over his shoulder. 

“Yeah, I’m not a nerd,” Riley said, winking while Emmeline rolled her eyes. 

“Save me a seat?” Riley called out when Emmeline and Rolf were walking away, Emmeline shot her a thumbs up over her shoulder. 

Emmeline laughed, shaking her head. Together, Rolf and Emmeline walked in silence towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. When they entered the room, Rolf waved at some of his fellow housemates, who were already in the room, before taking a seat towards the front with Emmeline. Emmeline and Rolf put their backpacks on the chairs on either side of them, effectively saving the spots for their friends. 

“What do you think Professor Lupin will be like?” Emmeline asked, taking out her book, wand and her parchment and quill. 

“Well, if the rumors about him helping Potter on the train are true, I’d guess kind,” Rolf said. 

“I wonder if he’ll teach us how to defend ourselves against the dementors,” Emmeline said, feeling giddy at the idea. 

“I’ve read about that, the spell is a Patronous charm, and it’s N.E.W.T level material,” Emmeline said. 

“I would guess probably, dementors are in the textbook,” Rolf said. 

“I still can’t believe that the dementors are at Hogwarts,” Emmeline trailed off. 

“They must think that Sirius Black will try to come here,” Rolf said, while the pair shared an uneasy look.

“I hope not,” Emmeline said, “I’m surprised that they haven’t caught him yet, they have everyone on it.” 

“I am too,” Rolf said, “My uncle was getting letters from the Ministry this summer, they were wondering if any of his fantastic beasts could help track him.” 

“Did your uncle have any suggestions?” Emmeline asked, leaning in.

“He was going to look into it,” Rolf said, “Normally we would recommend a Niffler for something like this, but the probability of Black having anything of value on him is slim to none.” 

“Do you think your uncle will figure something out?” 

“I think that he’ll try,” Rolf said, “And my uncle is the most determined person I know.” 

“Your uncle sounds like an amazing person,” Emmeline said, “I hope that I get to meet him one day.” 

“He said that he would try to make it to graduation,” Rolf said, grinning.

“Perfect!” Emmeline said. 

The pair sat and caught up while their classmates slowly filed in. They watched as Dominic and Riley were among the last to arrive, coming in, still bickering over something stupid. 

Rolf and Emmeline shared a knowing grin, this is why the pair of them sat in between Dominic and Riley. Olivia and Natalie sat behind them with their fellow 6th years Vincent and Tanner. 

Following closely behind them, came a thin, pale man with sandy hair. He smiled kindly at the students who were already in the room, while waiting patiently for the rest of the 6th year students to file in. 

When the bell rang, Professor Lupin flicked his wand and closed the door, before grinning at the class. 

“I think congratulations is in order,” he began, “It is not easy to pass your Defense O.W.Ls with an E or higher, and even more difficult to pass your 6th year exams to remain in the class.” 

A few members of the class beamed, proud of their accomplishments. 

“Now, we were going to start with a review from your previous years, starting with Boggarts,” Professor Lupin began, “However, given our current situation, I thought it would be best to start with Dementors.” 

Emmeline and Rolf shared an excited grin. 

“You will be able to find Dementors at the back of your textbook, on page 413,” Professor Lupin continued, giving the class time to open their books, “Now, who can tell me what the dementors job is?” 

Emmeline shot her hand in the air, practically bouncing. 

“Your name?” Professor Lupin asked, pointing to Rolf.

“Rolf Scamander,” he replied. 

“Very good, and what is the job of the dementor Mr. Scamander?” 

“To guard the prisoners of Azkaban.” 

“Very good, five points to Ravenclaw,” Professor Lupin said, “Who can tell me what charm one might use on a Dementor?” 

Again, Emmeline’s hand shot into the air, however Professor Lupin pointed towards Penelope. 

“Miss?” He questioned. 

“Clearwater Sir,” Penelope said, sitting a little taller, “You would use a Patronous charm.” 

“Very good, another 5 points for Ravenclaw. Who can tell me what the incantation for the charm is?” 

This time, Professor Lupin pointed to Emmeline. 

“Miss?” 

“Adams, Sir,” Emmeline responded, “The incantation is  _ Expecto Patronum. _ ” 

“Very good, 5 points to Gryffindor,” Professor Lupin said, “Now, please take out some parchment, we will begin learning about the different types of Patronus charms.” 

With a wave of his wand, notes appeared on the chalkboard behind him and Emmeline eagerly started writing. She could feel herself grinning at the idea of finally being able to learn in a Defense Against the Darks Arts class.

***

At dinner that night, everyone was raving about Professor Lupin, talking about how great of a teacher he was. Anyone who had not had class with him yet sat and absorbed all the information that they could. 

“I can’t wait until next week when we get to learn about how to cast the Patronous charm,” Riley said.

“It’s supposed to be incredibly complex,” Dominic said. 

“I think I’m going to go to the library tonight to see if I can research anymore on how to perform the charm,” Emmeline said. 

“Only you would go to the library the first night of class,” Riley teased. 

“I want to be prepared to cast the Patronus,” Emmeline said with a shrug, “Besides, we do have an essay to write about the dementors and the Patronus charm.” 

“It’s not due until next week…” Dominic said, laughing. 

“I want a head start.” Emmeline said, “I will never understand how the pair of you can procrastinate your work.” 

“It’s a skill,” the pair said in unison, while the rest of them laughed. 

***

By the time Friday rolled around, Emmeline was excited. The Professors had piled on the work for all the 6th years to do. Since they did not have class as many days a week, they were expected to put in the effort themselves. This was where Emmeline thrived. 

She was sitting on a chair near the fire, doing some extra reading on animaguses when Riley found her.

“Are you coming to the welcome back bash tonight?” Riley asked.

“Maybe for an hour,” Emmeline said, knowing that she should take a break and be social. 

“Excellent!” Riley said. “I thought that I was going to have to convince you.” 

“I already knew that you would try, just saving us time,” Emmeline teased. 

“You know me so well,” Riley said, before pulling out her divination dream journal. 

The two worked in silence for about 20 minutes (which, was quite long for Riley). 

“Alright, I’m over this, let’s get ready,” Riley said. 

“I’ll be up when I finish this chapter,” Emmeline conceded.

Nodding, Riley made her way up to their dorm room, already planning her outfit. True to her word, Emmeline finished her chapter, and made her way upstairs, where she was met with complete chaos. 

Riley was digging through her trunk, throwing clothes and shoes everywhere, while Nataline was dumping her makeup out in the bathroom. Olivia was standing in front of their mirror, with two different shoes on her feet. 

“Which ones make my arse look better?” she asked. 

“The red ones,” Riley and Emmeline both replied. 

“Excellent,” Olivia grinned thankfully. 

Emmeline made her way towards her wardrobe, glad that she had already unpacked. Emmeline pulled out a new pair of jeans and a simple black top, before changing quickly. 

Making her way into the bathroom, she pulled her hair out of its bun, waving her wand to make it straight again. 

“Can I borrow your red lipstick?” Riley asked, coming into the bathroom in her navy dress. 

“Sure,” Emmeline said, “You could probably keep it considering you wear it. I don’t know what my mum was thinking when she bought it for me.” 

“She was thinking that you would look smokin’ in this shade,” Riley winked, “It would match your outfit tonight.” 

“I don’t know,” Emmeline said, “It’s not really me.” 

“Who says?” Riley asked, “Anything can be ‘you’ if you’re brave enough to rock it.” 

Emmeline grinned thankfully at her friend. 

“Does that mean that you’ll try it?” Riley said, blinking innocently at her friend. 

“Try what?” Natalie asked, from where she was finishing waving her red hair. 

“This red lipstick.” 

“That would look killer with your outfit Emmeline, I say go for it.” 

“Even if it’s not what I normally wear?” 

“Especially then, keep people on their toes.”

Nodding, Emmeline grabbed the tub from Riley and cautiously added some to her lips. Turning towards the mirror, Emmeline had to admit, she liked the look. 

“Alright, you girls are right. I like it,” Emmeline said, grinning. 

“You look hot,” Olivia said, walking into the bathroom to add the finishing touches on her makeup.

“Thanks,” Emmeline said, blushing. 

A few minutes later, the four girls headed down to the common room together. People were already dancing on the makeshift dance floor. Olivia made her way over to where Christian was playing the music, while Natalie made her way over to Alicia Spinnet. Emmeline could see Dominic, but he was engrossed in his conversation with Weston Allan. 

“Drinks?” Riley asked, while Emmeline nodded. 

Together, the pair made their way towards the drink table, where the Weasley twins were standing. 

“What would you ladies like?” asked one of the twins (Emmeline thought it was George, but she couldn’t be sure). 

“I’ll take a butterbeer,” Emmeline replied. 

“How’s the punch?” Riley asked. 

“Strong,” replied the other twin. 

“Perfect, I’ll take the punch,” Riley said, winking. 

With their drinks in hand, they made their way over to the window, where it was a little cooler. This was where Dominic found them a few minutes later. 

“Having fun?” Dominic asked. 

“Always,” said Riley, looking around the room. 

“I saw you talking with Weston,” Emmeline said, grinning, “He’s cute.” 

“Easily one of the most attractive 7th years,” Riley agreed. 

“I’m not sure I’m his type,” Dominic said, “But he sure is fun to flirt with.” 

“Dom honey, I think that you are everyones type,” Riley pointed out. 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” Dominic said, winking at Riley. 

“I think that Vincent is checking you out Riles,” Emmeline said, looking at their fellow 6th year from behind the rim of her drink. 

“This could be fun,” Riley said, eying him up, “I think I will see you all later.” 

Laughing, Dominic and Emmeline watched as their friend walked away. 

The pair stayed near their spot on the wall, catching up and people watching. 

“You look like you could use a refill,” Weston said, appearing next to Dominic. 

“Would you look at that,” Dominic said, while Emmeline shoved him towards the drink table. 

“I didn’t think that this would be your scene,” came a Scottish voice. 

“What would make you think that?” Emmeline asked, turning to face Oliver Wood. 

“Well, considering you prefer studying to Quidditch, I just assumed that you aren’t really a people person.” 

Emmeline raised a brow at him, “And yet you came over to talk to me?” 

“You looked lonely.” 

“I’m not,” Emmeline assured him, “But you’re right, this isn’t really my scene, so I’ll be going now.” 

Oliver watched as the brunette walked away, shaking his head in confusion. He wasn’t sure he would ever understand her. 

* * *

**And here is chapter 2! A special shout out to anyone who is reading this story, it means a lot to me.**

**Let me know in the comments who you want to see more of! :)**


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